U.S. patent application number 11/004324 was filed with the patent office on 2005-06-02 for device and method for performing page scan on a communication channel.
Invention is credited to Mikkelsen, Soeren.
Application Number | 20050117552 11/004324 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34530674 |
Filed Date | 2005-06-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050117552 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Mikkelsen, Soeren |
June 2, 2005 |
Device and method for performing page scan on a communication
channel
Abstract
A device and method for performing page scan on a first
communication channel by listening to the first communication
channel, which includes set-up parts for performing a page scan on
the first communication channel, a first timer for defining a first
time interval between successive page scans, a second timer for
defining a second time interval between successive page scans,
where the second interval is shorter than the first interval,
wherein the set-up parts are responsive to second channel
communication parts and are adapted to use the second timer when a
connection on the second channel is being initiated in the device,
and to use the first timer when the connection on the second
communication channel has been initiated.
Inventors: |
Mikkelsen, Soeren; (Aabybro,
DK) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLC
P.O. Box 1135
Chicago
IL
60690-1135
US
|
Family ID: |
34530674 |
Appl. No.: |
11/004324 |
Filed: |
December 2, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/336 ;
340/4.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 84/18 20130101;
Y02D 70/22 20180101; Y02D 70/144 20180101; Y02D 70/1242 20180101;
Y02D 30/70 20200801; H04W 88/06 20130101; H04W 84/042 20130101;
H04W 68/00 20130101; H04W 84/20 20130101; H04W 76/10 20180201; Y02D
70/1224 20180101 |
Class at
Publication: |
370/336 ;
340/825.2 |
International
Class: |
H04J 003/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 2, 2003 |
EP |
03027642.2 |
Claims
1. A device for performing page scan on a first communication
channel by listening to the first communication channel,
comprising: set-up parts for performing a page scan on the first
communication channel; a first timer for defining a first time
interval between successive page scans; and a second timer for
defining a second time interval between successive page scans,
where the second time interval is shorter than the first time
interval; wherein: the set-up parts are responsive to second
channel communication parts and are adapted to use the second timer
when a connection on a second channel is being initiated in the
device, and to use the first timer when the connection on the
second communication channel has been initiated.
2. A device for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the communication channel is
a local communication channel, and the second communication channel
is a cellular radio communication channel.
3. A device for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 2, wherein the local communication
channel is a Bluetooth communication channel.
4. A device for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 3, wherein the first time interval is
approximately 2.56 seconds.
5. A device for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 3, wherein: the second time interval is
approximately 100 milliseconds.
6. A device for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the set-up parts are further
adapted to one of perform the page scan only when an entry showing
that an accessory device is present has been previously defined,
and inhibit performing the page scan when an entry showing that an
accessory device is present has not been previously defined.
7. A device for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the device is a subscriber
terminal of a cellular network and the accessory device is a
wireless headset.
8. A method for performing page scan on a first communication
channel by listening to the first communication channel, the method
comprising: defining, via a first timer of a device, a first time
interval between successive page scans when a connection on a
second communication channel is being initiated; and defining, via
a second timer of the device, a second time interval, which is
longer than the first time interval, between successive page scans
after the connection on the second communication channel has been
initiated.
9. A method for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 8, wherein of claim 8, wherein the
first communication channel is a local communication channel and
the second communication channel is a cellular radio communication
channel.
10. A method for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 9, wherein the local communication
channel is a Bluetooth communication channel.
11. A method for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first time interval is
approximately 100 milliseconds.
12. A method for performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the second time interval is
approximately 2.56 seconds.
13. A method fir performing page scan on a first communication
channel as claimed in claim 8, wherein the page scan on the first
communication channel is performed responsively to a second
communication channel only if an entry showing that an accessory
device is present has been previously defined.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to performing page scan on a
physical channel by listening to it.
[0002] The recent development in mobile communications has
significantly increased the versatility of subscriber terminals. A
subscriber terminal has constantly been evolving from a mobile
phone towards an intelligent device, providing the subscriber with
a variety of services.
[0003] The developments in local communication options, especially
in those utilizing low power radio frequency communications, have
lead to an increasing choice of different peripherals or
accessories being wirelessly connectable to the subscriber
terminals. A remarkable market share of such local communication
options has been obtained by Bluetooth devices. An example of such
a peripheral or accessory is a wireless headset. In order to be
able to communicate with the subscriber terminal, the headset has
to have a connection with the subscriber terminal.
[0004] One way to establish a connection between a peripheral or
accessory and the subscriber terminal is that the subscriber
terminal is slave and the accessory or peripheral is master. Using
the wireless headset as an example, the details for the
establishment of a Bluetooth connection can be found in the
Bluetooth standard; e.g., in Bluetooth specification 1.2. In the
standard there is defined how the slave has to perform a page scan
on a physical channel by listening to it, and how it should respond
to the page detected.
[0005] As noted in the referred version of the specification, in
choosing the manner in which the page scan is performed, a
trade-off between current consumption and fast connection set-up
has to be performed.
[0006] It has turned to be particularly problematic in a subscriber
terminal to use the fast connection set-up, because of the larger
current consumption which has always been a problem in a mobile
device getting its operating power from a rechargeable battery.
However, using the slow connection set-up would in some cases be
particularly annoying to the user. In some cases, the slow
connection set-up might even lead to missing another connection, if
the accessory or peripheral is used on a first communication
channel to command the subscriber terminal to accept a connection
on a second communication channel.
[0007] A rather good introduction to the technical background of
connection set-up related page and page scan procedures in
Bluetooth ad-hoc wireless networks can be found in published US
patent application 2003/0012173 A1.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention is therefore directed toward improving
a device and method for performing page scan on a first
communication channel by listening to it.
[0009] By selecting a shorter interval between two page scans when
a connection on the second communication channel is being
initiated, and a longer interval between two page scans after the
connection on the second communication channel has been initiated,
the average time for a connection set-up on a first communication
channel can be shortened, in cases when a connection on the second
communication channel is being initiated. This may result in
enabling a faster connection set-up and consuming less current.
[0010] By doing this, current consumption outside the initiation of
a connection on the second communication channel can be reduced
from the magnitude it would have if the shorter intervals were also
used in these instances.
[0011] An example of such initiating of a connection on the second
communication channel is an incoming call from the cellular
network. A possible use case is establishing a connection between a
wireless headset and a subscriber terminal.
[0012] Additional features and advantages of the present invention
are described in, and will be apparent from, the following Detailed
Description of the Invention and the Figures.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0013] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a subscriber terminal
wirelessly connectable to an accessory or a peripheral via a first
connection channel CH1 and to a cellular network via a second
communication channel CH2.
[0014] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing an example of including the
changing of a timer used in performing page scan.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a subscriber terminal 100
wirelessly connectable to an accessory or a peripheral 111 via a
first connection channel CH1 and to a cellular network 121 via a
second communication channel CH2.
[0016] The subscriber terminal 100 is wirelessly connectable to a
peripheral or an accessory 111, such as a wireless headset.
Therefore, the subscriber terminal 100 includes communication parts
101 for communication with the peripheral or accessory 111 over a
first communication channel CH1. Preferably, the first connection
channel CH1 is a local communication channel, such as a Bluetooth
communication channel. In the Bluetooth communication channel, the
communications are performed using a low-power radio frequency
transmitter-receivers. In the following description it is assumed
that the communication channel CH1 is a Bluetooth communication
channel.
[0017] Further, the subscriber terminal 100 includes communication
parts 102 for communication with the cellular network 121 over a
second communication channel CH2. In particular, the subscriber
terminal 100 can be in connection with an element 123, such as a
gateway or a switching center 123 in the cellular network 121 via a
base station 122. The communication between the cellular network
121 and the subscriber terminal 100 takes place over a second
communication channel CH2. The second communication channel CH2 may
be as defined in any one of the relevant standards; in particular
for GSM, GPRS, or UMTS. Typically, communications on the
communication channel CH2 is performed in the microwave frequency
range.
[0018] The subscriber terminal further includes a central unit 103
and memory 104. According to a first embodiment of the present
invention, in the central unit there are defined the first timer
151 and the second timer 152. The first and second timers 151, 152
are intended for defining intervals between two page scans. The
first timer 151 defines a first interval T.sub.GAP (108), whereas
the second timer 152 defines a second interval T.sub.GAP (106).
[0019] For a Bluetooth device, the most advantageous value for the
second interval T.sub.GAP (106) is approximately 100 ms, and for
the first interval T.sub.GAP (108) approximately 2.56 seconds.
These values have been specified in BLUETOOTH SPECIFICATION,
Version 1.2 [vol 3] as timer values for Interlaced scans. Of
course, other suitable values for the first and second intervals
T.sub.GAP (108), T.sub.GAP (106) can be used as well.
[0020] FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing an example including the
changing of a timer used in performing page scan.
[0021] In step J11, it is tested by the central unit 103 whether or
not there is an incoming call. Because the central unit 103
controls communication parts 102 for communication with the
cellular network 121 over the second communication channel CH2, it
can detect when the cellular network 121 is paging the subscriber
terminal 100.
[0022] If there is an incoming call, then in step J13 it is checked
whether the using of communication parts 101 for communication with
the peripheral or accessory 111 over a first communication channel
CH1 is enabled. If it is not enabled, the control is returned to
step J11.
[0023] In step J15 it is checked whether an entry 161 showing that
an accessory or peripheral 111 is present has been previously
defined. Preferably, this entry 161 is stored in the memory 104. If
the entry 161 has not been defined, the control is returned to step
J11.
[0024] In step J17, the fast connection setup is enabled. In other
words, the second timer 152 for defining a second interval
T.sub.GAP (106) between two page scans is selected to be used in
the communication parts 101 for communication with the peripheral
or accessory 111 over the first communication channel CH1.
[0025] In step J19 it is checked whether the incoming call has been
accepted or a hands-free connection established. In a positive
case, in step J23 the fast connection setup is disabled. In other
words, in step J23 the first timer 151 for defining a first
interval T.sub.GAP (108) between two page scans is selected to be
used in the communication parts 101 for communication with the
peripheral or accessory 111 over the first communication channel
CH1. After step J23, the control is returned to step J11.
[0026] In the opposite case, that is if the incoming call has not
been accepted nor a hands-free connection established, in step J21
it is checked whether the incoming call is still ringing. If the
incoming call is not ringing anymore, the control is passed to step
J23 where the fast connection setup is disabled. If the incoming
call is still ringing, the control is passed back to step J19.
[0027] In order to ensure that the user of the peripheral or
accessory 111 only gets connected to the right subscriber terminal
100 and not to another subscriber terminal in the area, the entry
161 may identify the peripheral or accessory 111 that correspond to
the subscriber terminal 100. Further, in the peripheral or
accessory 111, there may be a similar entry identifying the right
subscriber terminal 100 corresponding to the peripheral or
accessory 111. In this manner, the peripheral or accessory 111 can
be in a standby mode having a very low power consumption. In such a
mode, the peripheral or accessory 111 is powered on but has no
Bluetooth connection.
[0028] In the example of a wireless headset, when the subscriber
terminal 100 is paging the user (i.e., ringing), the user can hear
the ringing tone and pick up the headset and then push the accept
call button. At that time, the headset tries to establish the
connection and to accept the call.
[0029] Using the faster connection set-up, a connection on the
first communication channel CH1 can be performed approximately
about 65% faster than using a normal connection set-up.
[0030] The skilled person appreciates that the present invention is
not limited by the examples of using a GSM or UMTS subscriber
terminal for receiving a call. Indeed, although the present
invention has been described with reference to specific
embodiments, those of skill in the art will recognize that changes
may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of
the present invention as set forth in the hereafter appended
claims.
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